As a propulsion apparatus used in a space, an apparatus is known that accelerates and emits plasma to a rear direction to acquire thrust force with reaction of the emission. Patent Literature 1 discloses an electric propulsion machine that acquires the thrust force by ejecting plasma generated through arc discharge from a nozzle. Patent Literature 2 discloses an ion engine that selectively accelerates charged particles that are generated through discharge by using a screen electrode and an acceleration electrode.
Also, a Hall thruster which uses a Hall current is known as a propulsion apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, in the Hall thruster, electrons supplied from the cathode carry out a Hall movement (forms a Hall current) in a circumferential direction through interaction of an electric field and a magnetic field. The electrons carry out the Hall movement to ionize the propulsion material so as to generate plasma. The plasma is accelerated with the electric field and is emitted into a rear direction.
Moreover, as an apparatus which accelerates the electrodeless plasma generated by an electrodeless plasma generating apparatus, an accelerating apparatus by a magnetic nozzle and an accelerating apparatus (the Lissajous accelerating apparatus) by a rotating electric field or a rotating magnetic field are known. Here, the electrodeless plasma generating apparatus is defined as a plasma generating apparatus which an electrode and the plasma do not contact directly in a plasma generation process. As shown in FIG. 2, the magnetic nozzle accelerates the plasma by using a magnetic coil. The magnetic coil converts thermal energy of the plasma to kinetic energy which heads to the rear direction of the nozzle. As shown in FIG. 3, in a Lissajous acceleration apparatus, the plasma is rotated in a circumferential direction by using a rotating electric field (or a rotating magnetic field). The plasma is accelerated through interaction (Lorentz force) of the plasma rotating to the circumferential direction (the Hall current) and a divergent magnetic field of the magnetic coil.